Natural Resources Wales ask for permission to bolster Llanfair TH flood defences in wake of Storm Ciara

The environment watchdog wants a certificate of lawful development to strengthen mitigation against flooding in Llanfairtalhaiarn, Conwy.

The village was hammered by the storm in February last year as up to 93mph winds whipped up torrential rain and high river levels.

It turned the main street into a river, after storm drains were overrun by debris.

Wrought iron railings were wrenched from their fixings near the Water Street culvert, such was the force of the water, and heartbroken homeowners were left bailing out their properties.

The devastation in the tiny community was bad enough for First Minister Mark Drakeford to arrange a visit to see the damage for himself, after a plea from local county councillor Ifor Glyn Lloyd.

First Minister Mark Drakeford visited the village to see the storm damage.

Now, almost a year and a half later, Natural Resources Wales has asked Conwy county council planners for permission to improve the defences.

The application relates to land at the inlet of the Water Street culvert on the Nant Barrog, under Phase 2 of the flood management scheme in Llanfairtalhaiarn.

In a letter to planners NRW said Phase 1 of the works, completed in 2018, had increased the defences to 1.33 per cent above the annual exceedance probability (AEP) for a one in 75 year rainfall event.

The latest works will give the defences a 1 per cent AEP for a one in 100 year rainfall event and were selected from three different designs.

They chosen design is:

A new reinforced u-shaped concrete channel to repace 25m long masonry walls on either side of the Nant Barrog immediately upstream of the culvert inlet – 600mm above existing ground levels – with 600mm high ornamental railings on top of the new walls on both banks

The trash screen at the inlet of the Water street culvert will be replaced with the new one having bars spaced 450mm apart – which it hopes will stop smaller debris clogging up the screen as happened during Storm Ciara

The existing parapet wall at the Water Street culvert will be reduced from 1.4m to 800mm with a double hinged gate in the 600mm ornamental railings, to allow JCB backhoe access to maintain the trash screen

A new Rootlok vegetated wall will replace the 25m masonry wall on the left bank of the Nant Barrog where it goes through a 90 degree turn, all the way up to the vehicle bridge – with 1.8m high ornamental railing on the same bank up to the vehicle bridge

It is hoped work will start as soon as permission is granted, and before the worst of the winter weather hits the region.